


The Luckiest

by AUniversalStandstill



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, My First AO3 Post, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates AU, Stucky - Freeform, WWII era, based on 'the luckiest' by ben folds, beginning scrawny steve, it's a really great song, name tattooed on body, steve is a little bit dramatic, they're both v gushy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 07:44:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7749190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AUniversalStandstill/pseuds/AUniversalStandstill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And Steve knows he’s got it right this time, knows more than he’s ever known anything, and he feels like the luckiest goddamn kid who’s ever lived, because he’s promised Bucky for the rest of his god given life. He just prays it’s a long one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Luckiest

He falls in love with Bucky when he’s seven years old. The little boy with the big blue eyes and the heart of gold, and it’s no surprise when Bucky’s name, his real name, shows up on Steve’s scrawny chest when they’re fifteen. He shyly shows Bucky the day of his party in the hallway outside his apartment and Bucky holds him tight, whispering little sweet nothings into his hair. Steve’s name is on his hip. 

Later that night, Steve’s mother pulls him aside and sits him down on their threadbare couch that’s a little off-green, and looks him in the eye and he knows that she knows.

“Stevie, let me tell you something I wish I’d know. You’ve gotta be careful, baby. Make sure you’ve got this one right. This one’s big.”

“I love him, ma. I love him so much.” And she pulls him into a hug.

“I know, Stevie. But somedays you’re gonna hate loving him. It’s gonna be hard. So hard, but you’re gonna pull through. As long as you know that boy loves you.” And Steve knows he’s got it right this time, knows more than he’s ever known anything, and he feels like the luckiest goddamn kid who’s ever lived, because he’s promised Bucky for the rest of his god given life. He just prays it’s a long one.

***

Bucky decides to join the army when Steve does, promising himself that he’ll make his Stevie proud, let him live vicariously through Bucky if he has to. He knows Steve’s crushed every time he’s rejected, but he’ll be damned if his boy isn’t a tryer. They take a couples of girls out one night, keeping up an image for someone, they don’t really know who, and Steve slips away and it makes Bucky’s heart ache knowing the person he loves most will never do what he really wants to. The girls can see it on his face that somethings off.

“Where’d the little one go?” Linda, at least, he thinks she’s Linda, asks.

“I saw him go off to the recruitment station.” The other snaps her gum. Her name is something like Sandra, but at this point, Buck can’t be bothered to remember. “He’ll never get into the army like that.” Her voice is cruel.

“Lay off him, Sandy. He’s just a late bloomer. Not like you, James.” She breathes out, running a hand up his bicep. It feels wrong and cold and not like his boy at all. He tries to brush her off as kindly as he can. Bucky’s the luckiest bastard in the world to have Stevie. He clenches his jaw and walks them home. Just they wait and see.

***

Steve always keeps on his undershirt when he’s changing. Peggy thinks it’s a self-confidence thing, like he’s still used to his smaller body and all the nerves that went with it until he gets his own dressing room before shows and she walks in on him. It’s really more of an extra sheet backstage but it’s obviously enough for him to open up more. The handwriting is rough and slanted and a little familiar but she can’t place it.

“James Barnes, huh?” She stands against the door flap and Steve is bright red.

“Yeah. Bucky.”

“The name rings a bell. Is he here?”

“No. He was drafted into the 107th. Shipped off to England before all of this.” He motions up and down.

“Do you miss him. Mr. Rogers?”

“Like hell. I’m the luckiest man alive, Ms. Carter, and I know it.”

***

Bucky’s groggy and hurts all over and he sees Steve’s face and he’s convinced he’s in heaven because as cheesy as it is, Stevie is the closest to an angel he’s ever wanted to get.

“Steve?”

“I thought you were dead.” The relief is almost tangible. It’s really his boy, and Buck is equal parts ecstatic and confused.

“I thought you were smaller.” Steve pulls him up with a strength Bucky never thought he could have. “What happened to you?” And Steve flashes him that smile he missed so goddamn much.

“I joined the army.” And he pulls Bucky into the best kiss of his life, not that any kiss with Steve was ever bad. The room is grimy and dark and holds more bad memories than he thought was possible but this good one was enough to wash everything else away, just for a moment before they’re thrust back into the real world. Bucky smiles as he runs. He’s willing to reckon he’s the luckiest solider in the entire US Army.

***

Steve is nearly certain that this is the equivalent of getting his heart ripped out of his chest as he watches Bucky fall. Bucky who was protecting him, who he loved more than anything, who was dead and it was all his fault, and Steve who was filled with blinding anger and sadness all at once. He knew this is what his Ma meant when she warned him he’d hate loving Bucky, when she said it’s be hard. He was planning on putting a ring on Bucky’s finger. Making a proper man out of him, even if it took until they were one hundred and two. Letting the whole world a piece of Bucky was his, even if no one else noticed. And maybe he hates loving Bucky, but it’s only because Bucky made him feel like the luckiest punk to ever make it out of Brooklyn. Hell, even if they’d stayed in Brooklyn. Even if they were sitting in his bone chilling apartment with a couple of blankets and he was his old scrawny self, even if they’d been set apart by fate, even if they had to travel thousands of miles just to meet for one second, Bucky’s eyes feel like home. Something familiar and warm and real in a sea of unknown things and new experiences and he’d never trade Buck for the world. Never.

***

Captain America is going down with his ship and he can’t bring himself to care. He knows he’s made him Ma proud. Bucky’s ring sits on a chain around his neck, hitting against his chest like a heartbeat as he hits the ice. It gets cold first and Steve knows he was never meant to last long without Bucky anyway.

When he wakes up, he begins to regret asking for a long life when he was 15.

**Author's Note:**

> I would highly recommend this song. Very beautiful and these two idiots just happened to fit the bill pretty well. I also apologize for any mistakes as I have no admin and wrote this at 3 am. Please forgive me.


End file.
